STAT OF THE DAY In new data from Ketchum, 86% of Americans say mental health is more important to them post-COVID and 62% say that their five-year plans are completely disrupted. COVID-19 UPDATE At the time of reporting, The New York Times showed 4,303,816 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 148,450 deaths. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker reported 4,388,173 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 150,526 fatalities. The pandemic is taking a toll on health care workers, including a chief of critical care at a Baltimore hospital, and in places like Los Angeles where cases numbers have spiked. Misinformation on social media poses a real threat to the COVID-19 response, warns Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft and a prominent voice on the pandemic response. Consumer confidence has fallen in the U.S., in part due to the resurgence of COVID-19 in states like Florida, Texas and California.
Employee engagement falls as trust in leadership declines. In reporting from Gallup, communicators have a crucial role in helping their organizations connect with anxious, exhausted audiences.
Become a comms futurist with these steps. In responding to this crisis, you must start looking to the future to guide your actions and set up your recovery. Here’s how Stagwell’s Ray Day says you can make the change from putting out fires to thinking more long-term. PR Can Reach Higher in Search Results Than Your Clients’ SEO Efforts. That, according to a study that reviewed the average the Domain Authority of earned media websites verses brand-owned websites. More on how PR has the opportunity to win search engine visibility where SEO and SEM fail: The Ultimate PR Guide on Search Engine Strategy. Home Depot’s Yanique Woodall shares crisis tips. Have you thought about guiding your team through a watercolor painting session over video? Here are some ideas for how to manage through this crisis from a leader at the home improvement chain. Use video to create community during this crisis. Here’s how Jack Daniels embraced the trend of the “mukbang” video to celebrate Pride and bring people together during COVID-19. Do you offer training for managers helping employees who are caregivers? According to a Harvard Business School report, nearly three-quarters of employees may have caregiving responsibilities, and American companies are facing a “caregiving crisis.” How should we evaluate brand responses to Black Lives Matter? What statements have resonated and what messages fell flat? From strong responses like Ben & Jerry’s to poor reactions from brands like CrossFit, we take a look at 10 responses to this pivotal moment for the United States and its business community. Planet Fitness to require masks. An email to customers announced the change, and people who have a medical condition that keeps them from being able to wear a mask will be allowed to freeze their membership until the crisis is over. NBC News reported: "Effective August 1, all Planet Fitness members (you!) & guests will be required to wear a mask inside our clubs, at all times," said the email. "This added safety precaution also helps us to remain open to serve you and keep you healthy and moving!" Help employees deal with burnout during WFH. A recent survey shows that 69% of workers experience burnout from remote work. Here’s how you can talk about helping employees cope. HSBC acknowledges failure to publish D&I data. The bank group said that the lack of action had created a “feeling of mistrust” among black colleagues. City A.M. wrote: [Chief executive Noel Quinn] said: “Black colleagues feel that HSBC has not been strong or vocal enough as an organization on matters that concern them. They acknowledged that we have made clear commitments to promote a more diverse and inclusive culture, and spoken out on gender and LGBT+ equality, but that we have been relatively silent on other aspects of the D&I agenda.” Nike’s brings in new DE&I leadership to create change. The athletics apparel company says Felicia Mayo, who Joined Nike a year ago from Tesla, will lead a new team as chief talent, diversity and culture officer. Footwear News wrote: And so, we are bringing Talent and D&I together,” [Nike chief John Donahoe] added in the memo, obtained by FN. “When we refer to Talent, we are referring to the entire employee experience: from Talent Acquisition to professional development to goal-setting and performance to promotions. Starting today, D&I will be woven into the entire talent agenda from the very beginning, with measurement and accountability throughout.” Special Report Get a free copy of Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board’s “Organizational Responses to Black Lives Matter,” a concise and meaningful review of how 10 brands responded to the Black Lives Matter movement—from best to worst—and the lessons taken from each response. Virtual Conference Alert Join us for Ragan’s Brand Storytelling During a Crisis Virtual Conference Aug. 4-5 to learn the latest tips on telling your brand story and protecting your reputation during these uncertain and tumultuous times. Join our Crisis Leadership Board Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board is the resource you need before, during and after the crisis. As a board member, you have access to all back issues of this newsletter—as well as research, data, case studies, checklists, tip sheets, articles and other resources—plus a peer-to-peer discussion board and an all-access pass to the annual Crisis Management Conference. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Contact Hannah Lavelle at [email protected] with sponsorship and advertising inquiries. Pitch Us Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at [email protected]. Sign Up Subscribe to Ragan’s Crisis Daily newsletter today. | 